Spraying apparatus



June l1, 1940.

A. J. TUCCI SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed Aug; 9, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Snventor Cttatneg June 1l, 1940. vA. 1J. lTucci 2,203,851l

SPRAYING AE'PARATUS Fi1ed Aug. 9, 1931 i 5 sheets-sheet 5 y sa.

` nnentor H/vrHo/VY JOHN 70cm.

A. J. Tucci l 2,203,851

SPRAYING AFPARATU Fiied Aug. 9. 1957 l 5 sheets-shed 4` Gttorneg A. J. Tucci SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9. 1957 June; 11, 1940.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 las v attorney Patented June 1l, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

` This invention relates to a spraying apparatus. vIn general, one object of the invention is to provide improved means to reciprocate a spray gun. A more specific object is to provide a mech- 5 anism for reciprocating a spray gun in such a manner as to eliminate shocks to the gun and the jerky movement thereof at the reversals of motion.

A further specic object is to guide the gun for movement in a path conforming substantially to the curvature of the surface subjected to the spray from the gun.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically shutting off the gun during the periods in which the gun is at rest between its movements in opposite directions.

The above objects of the invention and other objects ancillary thereto will be fully understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus embodying the present invention;`

line 2-2 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is anend view in elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation and partly in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a plan view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a. sectional view on the line I-I of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line B-B of Fig, 7;

Fig. 9 is a side view, on a larger scale, of the cam follower;

lower;

Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional views `on the lines II-II and I2I2, respectively, of Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cam on the line I3-I3 of Fig. 5. i

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the apparatus is illustrated as used for spraying the tops of automobiles and for this purpose the automobiles are caused to move by means of a conveyor I0 beneath the spray gun I2 longitudinally of the apparatus as indicated by the arrow in said figure. During the movement of the automobile the spray gun I2 is reciprocated transversely of the automobile top whereby the latter is completely coatv Fig. 2 is a plan View, partly in` `section on the` Fig. l0 is a bottom plan view of the cam fo1 ed. It will be understood that the speed of travel of conveyor Il! is such in relation to the speed at which spray gun I2 is reciprocated that the entire surface of the automobile top is properly covered with paint or other coating material.

The spraying apparatus comprises a frame I4 positioned 'above conveyor IU. Said frame includes a hanger I6 for the reciprocating gun carriage, a hanger I8 for the'actuating mechanism and a support 20 for lever 22 which transmits the motion from the actuating mechanism carried by hanger I8 to the gun carriage supported in hanger I6.

The gun I2 is reciprocated by a suitable carriage which includes a block 24 mounted at the w.

lower end of a rod 26 which extends through an opening 28 in a block 3II of a reciprocating device 21. Block 24 is provided with a recess 25 in which the gun fits and in which said gun is removably held by a strap 29. Block 30 is mounted for reciprocation between spaced guide members 32 carried by hanger I6. As shown more'clearly in Fig. 7, block 30 is substantially cross shaped in cross section and is provided with re-entrant corner portions 34 in each of which there is posi- 2li tioned a roller 36 which has rolling engagement with the inner surfaces of `guide members 32. Said rollers are rotatably mounted onelongated bearing pins 38 which passthrough upper and lower plates 40 and42, respectively, in which. their ends are secured by the pin heads'4t and the nuts 45. Plates 40 and 42 are provided with rollers 46 which have rolling engagement with the upper arid lower edges 48 and 50, respectively, of guide members 32. Said rollers 46 are rotatably mounted on bearing pins 52 which are retained in fixed relation to side plates 54 by the pin heads t 56 and nuts 58. Block 30 is thus supported on guide members 32 for movement therebetween.

Rod `26 is mounted for reciprocation in block l 30 and plates 4U and 42 transversely of the path of block movement, said plates being provided with guide openings 60 through which said rod misrmovable. For the purpose of reducing friction, opening 28 in block 3U ispreferably larger in diameter than rod 26,'as shown in Fig. 8. Vertical reciprocation of rod 26 occurs automatically `at predetermined times during the horizontal reciprocation thereof under the control of guide 62. Said guide comprises spaced guide rails 64 xed at their ends in said hanger. Guide 62 also includes rollers 66 which have rolling engagement with said guide rails. Said rollers are rotatably mounted on bearing pins 68 which pass through rod 26 and are xed at their ends to side plates 55 Vist by a pulley |24.

1o by the pin heads 12 and the nuts threaded on 'said ends. Guide rails 64 have a curvature corresponding substantially to the transverse curvature of the automobile top or other surface For this purpose trigger 16 of gun |2 is actuatedH by an arm 18 under the control of a guide bar or track 80. Said guide track 80 is fixed in hanger I6 and is provided with an intermediate portion 82 and offset end portions 84. Arm 18 is provided with a roller 86 which engages bar 80. It

will be understood that the parts are so relatedy that during the operation of the apparatus, trigger 16 is moved in. opposition to the usual valve closling springs by the engagement of roller 86 with portion 82 of guide bar 80 wherebyV the fluid valves of the gun are opened, and that when said gun reaches the end of its path of movement in each direction of reciprocation roller 86 mov-. ing into engagement with offset end portions 84 of guide 80 permits the trigger 16 to release the valves for movement thereof to closed position for shutting off the gun.

The mechanism `for actuating the reciprocating device 21 includes lever 22. Said lever is connected at one end thereof to plate 40 and for this purpose is provided with a slot 90, as best shown in Fig. 2, which engages boss 92 formed integral with said plate.; The other end of lever,22 is` provided with a similar slot 94 in which one end of a rod 96 connected to cam follower 98| is en-` gaged. Rod 96 isreciprocated by a rotary cam which will be subsequently more fully described. Said rod is associated with aguide devicev I 02 which includes spaced guide members |04, a block |06, like block 30, rollers |08, like rollers 36, upper and lower plates I|0, like plate 42, rollers I I2, like rollers 46, and side plates |'|4, like plates 54. `In other words guide device |02 is substantially the same in construction as reciprocating device 21, except that there is no boss on upper plate ||0,-as lever 22 directly engages rod 96.

It will be understood that as cam |00 is rotated, rod 96 is reciprocated longitudinally of guide members |04 under the control of. cam ffollower 98'and that reciprocation of said rod longitudinally of guide members |04 causes lever 22 to oscillate whereby the reciprocation of said rod is transmitted tothe reciprocating land guide device 21 thereby to move the gun carriage and the gun I2. It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the arm ||6 of lever 22 is considerably shorter thanarm I I8 of said lever whereby similarly taperedl and is provided with a lower A concave edge |28 for engagement with the arcuate bottom surface |30 of said cam groove. The body of cam follower 98 has sides |32 and is progressively narrower transversely from its\ center line toward both ends whereby said follower is provided with somewhat rounded but pointed Iin fixed relation longitudinally of rod 88 by nuts |42. The sides of the cam groove are smooth curves drawn tangent to arcs swung about a series o flcenters along the center line in the development of the bottom of the cam groove, with the radii of said arcs equal to one-half the width of the bottom of said groove, and by similar curves drawn tangent to arcs swung about the same centers with the radii equal to one-half the` width of the top of the cam groove, the first mentioned curves defining the bottom edge cf the sides of the groove and the last mentioned curves defining the top edge 'of'. said sides.

The arrangement of the parts is such that the cycle of movement of the gun carriage, that is, the movement of said carriage once in one direction and once in the opposite direction for the full length of its path in Veach of saiddirections is effected by four rotations of cam |00. The cam groove |26 is designed to cause the follower 98 to move with-uniformly accelerated motion for 1511;; turns of the cam, and to move with uniformly retarded motion for the next 15115 turn of the camv after which the follower remains stationary for 11g of a turn of. the cam thus completing the half cycle, the same movement 'taking place for the follower to ,return to its original position to complete lthe full cycle by four turns of the cam.

'I'hus it is seen that the apparatus herein shown and described and the several mechanisms constituting parts of said apparatus are well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the present invention. vIt will be understood, however', that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as here shown. It will be'understood also that the path of movement of reciprocating device'21 The construction of rotary cam |00 and camfollower 98 will now be more fully described with v claim and/desire to secure by Letters Patent of particular reference to Figs. 5 and 9 to 13. As here shown, rotary cam |00-is a cylindrical cam fixed to' a shaft |20, journalledfor rotation in bearings |22 provided in hanger I8 and rotated Said cam is provided with a groove |26 of suitable depth and curvature for reciprocating cam follower 98. .l As shown in Fig.

l3,fcam groove |26 is tapered inwardly and as illustrated in Figs. 9 to 1,2, cam follower` 98 iS while the present apparatus is intended primarily for use for'reciprocating a spray gun, it may be used for other purposes Where motion such as that provided by the present apparatus is desii-ed. Further, as certain changes in the organization and in the construction and arrangement of parts maybe made without departing from the scope of the present invention, I do not wish` to be limited precisely to the construction herein shown or described, except as may be required by the appended claims considered with reference to the prior art.

Having thus described my invention what I Vthe United States is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising track, rigid reciprocating means for moving the same and said carriage with uniformly accelerated and retarded motion.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a reciprocating spray gun carriage, a track therefor, means fo moving said carriage on said for actuating ported in said carriage, a rotary cylindrical cam for operating said reciprocating means, said cam l being disposed with its axis parallel to the path of reciprocation of said carriage and having a said reciprocating means having a part engaging said cam in said groove, and means including a member movable transversely of said track for effecting movementof. said gun in a direction transversely of the path of reciprocation of said carriage.

3.4 Apparatusof the class described comprising a movable carriage member, a spray gun supported in said carriage member for movement therewith, and means for effecting movement of said gun in two directions substantially at right ,l angles to each other comprising a` guide-track -to said carriagey member',` said last on which said carriage member ,l is mounted for reciprocation across a surface to be coated and winch is provided with offset portions to cause said carriage member to move toward and away from said surface during the reciprocation of said carriage member on said guide-track, and means for reciprocating said carriage member on said guide-track comprising a rotary cylindrical cam and means operatively connecting said cam mentioned means comprising a iirst member movable only in a horizontal plane and a second member movable by and with said first member in said horizontal plane and movable also in a vertical plane with said carriage member toward and away from said surface, said second member being connected to said ilrst member and to said carriage member for reciprocating the latter on said guidetrack.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable carriage member, a spray gun supsaid carriage member said carriage.

ported in said carriage member for movement therewith, means for effecting movement of said gun in two directions substantially at right angles to each other comprising a guide-track on which is mounted for reciprocation across a surface to be coated, and which. is shaped to cause said carriage member to move toward and away from said surface during the reciprocation of said carriage member on said guide-track, and means for reciprocating said carriage member on said guide-track comprising a rotary cylindrical cam and means operatively connecting said cam to said carriage member, said last mentioned means comprising a irst also in a vertical plane with said carriage memthe end of its movement in one of said directions.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a spray-gun carriage, a track on which said carriage is reciprocable, said track being shaped to guide said `carriage for reciprocable movement across a surface to be coated and for movement toward and away from said surface, and means for reciprocating said carriage with uniformly accelerated and retarded motion longitudinally of said track, said means comprising a rotary cylindrical cam and means operatively connect'- ing said cam to said carriage, said connecting means including two members reciprocable as a unit in a rectilinear path in a horizontal plane, one of said two members being also movable in a vertical plane in a rectilinear path at right angles to` said path of movement in a horizontal plane, said second member being connected to v ANTHONY Jom'r Tocci. 

